Seven Days of Christmas
by angelicphantomdragon
Summary: Nezumi feels bad when he can't be there for Shion's first Christmas away from his family. But that doesn't stop him from coming up with a great idea to make Shion feel loved this Christmas... Ratings change from T to M later.
1. Day One

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

Nezumi grunted as he lifted up a heavy prop box to place backstage. His black hair was all in disarray, and his long, poufy dress made it hard for him to move his legs as he tried painfully to walk to the back of the stage. His tired, storm-grey eyes beheld the less-than-magnificent stage as cold air swatted at his skin and nighttime silence abounded with the voices of his cast mates. It was December 19, and his boss demanded that there would be a play every day until the day after Christmas, along with daily practices that started so early that some cast members had decided to live in the theater until the end of the play. It was an outrageous schedule, but some of the homeless people had demanded it, since they had no family to go to for Christmas, and Nezumi's director had decided that he did not want to let those homeless customers down. They were willing to pay for their entertainment, after all.

Normally, Nezumi wouldn't be so outraged by this strange schedule, but this year was a bit different. Nezumi couldn't hold back an unexpected sigh when he thought of the white-haired boy with eyes as red and sparkling as rubies waiting for him at home. Before this year, Nezumi lived alone, and never felt the need to celebrate Christmas since he had no family, but this would be Shion's first Christmas away from his mother in Lost Town. Nezumi felt a sudden surge of guilt when he thought of Shion, all alone in the house for the next seven days. Nezumi had agreed to go home during the nights after setting up the stage for the next practice, but he wouldn't be home until late, and Shion would most likely be fast asleep by the time he arrived.

Nezumi dropped the heavy box where it belonged, and stretched his back in relief. He was tired, and the heavy makeup that he was wearing had really begun to make him sweat despite the cold air of the theater. Nezumi could see his breath as he exhaled, and the slight wind in the theater made his hair blow softly backward and cooled off his sweaty face a little bit. The theater was dark and cool, and the sound of the cast members' voices echoed across the theater in bouncing waves. Nezumi heard footsteps echoing close by, and turned to see one of his many unfamiliar cast members walking towards him, a grin stretching across her face.

"Oi, Nezumi! That was some performance, eh? You were really great!" the woman praised before chuckling at Nezumi's expressionless face.

"What do you want?" Nezumi asked in the bored tone he had perfected. Even though it was almost Christmas, that didn't mean Nezumi was in the Christmas spirit. Actually, the closer it got to Christmas, the more annoyed Nezumi seemed to get with other people.

"Ah, Nezumi. You never were one for praise, huh? Well, I guess I'll just jump right into it. You know that boy you live with? The white haired one?" the woman asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

Nezumi stiffened, a sudden wave of wariness hitting him. What on earth would she want with Shion? On the other hand, how would she even know that Shion lived with him?

Well, besides the fact that Shion would sometimes come with Nezumi to the theater, but they could have easily been interpreted as friends….

"Yeah, what about him?" Nezumi asked, trying his best to clamp down his wariness, yet not bothering to be polite.

The woman glared at him suspiciously at his lack of courtesy towards a woman, but quickly shrugged it off and smiled.  
"Well, you see, I have a daughter who has been kind of lonely lately, and I was wondering if that boy is single. I think he would be very interested…."

"He wouldn't be," Nezumi growled, his wariness altering into anger quickly. Something unpleasant tugged at his chest, which made him want to rage. _I wish I could go just ONE day without this crap…_

The woman looked startled, but recovered quickly. "Are you sure? I think he would be really happy with her!"

"I'm quite sure, thank you," Nezumi grumbled, his voice beginning to turn deep and irritated. With the sudden tension surrounding Nezumi, only a fool would think to stay in his presence.

Clearly, this woman was one of those fools.

"Would you at least ask him?" the woman asked pleasantly, not even seeming to notice Nezumi's pissed off tone.

Before Nezumi could reply, the director clapped his hands loudly, startling Nezumi out of his response.

"Alright, ya mutts! I'm about to be locking up, so if ya aren't stayin the night, then get dressed and get out!" he yelled in his obnoxious voice, and Nezumi couldn't help but thank the man silently for his interruption.

"Oh, I guess that means you should go. I'll expect a full reply tomorrow in the morning," the woman said, and with a flip of her hair, turned the other way and sashayed off, her skirts billowing in the soft breeze.

Nezumi sighed, his earlier okayish mood sullied by that encounter. That woman didn't even know Shion's name, and she was willing to offer her daughter to him? People like that made Nezumi sick.

Pissed off, Nezumi made his way to the dressing rooms to change. Because he was so popular among all of the plays he had done, Nezumi was offered his own dressing room in the spacious yet broken down theater. It wasn't much, but it did hold all of his costumes and makeup, and left plenty of room for him to keep a few props. He lit a few candles and changed into his normal clothes before tying his hair up in his usual ponytail and wiping off the heavy, powdery makeup. He noticed some candy canes that one of his many admirers had sent him, and placed a few in his pocket before setting out for home.

Nezumi's thoughts unintentionally began to drift to Shion as walked out of the theater and into the cold night air. Snow sparkled in the soft moonlight as Nezumi made his was quickly across the shiny, broken sidewalk on his way home. _Shion would probably be asleep by now_, Nezumi figured as he passed old trash that had frozen over in the cold winter night. Nezumi could tell it was close to midnight, as there was pretty much no one out on the streets, and even the animals that were usually found digging through the trash were fast asleep in their own homes.

Another sudden pang of guilt hit Nezumi as he thought of Shion, all alone at home. Nezumi sighed, his breath turning white in the air, and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of that guilt. It was no use feeling bad about the circumstances—Nezumi needed to make the money somehow. And he was pretty sure that Shion understood that. Yet, as he walked further and further among the broken, slippery sidewalk, the pounding in his heart only made things worse. By the time he reached the door to his home, Nezumi felt pale and troubled, and that made him feel angry.

"Why am I so concerned about this?" Nezumi muttered to himself as he dug around for his keys, his cold fingers numbly brushing along the ring of his keys and the candy canes he had stored earlier. "There is no use feeling guilty—it couldn't be helped."

_But this is Shion's first Christmas alone_, the thought mercilessly nagged him as he opened the door and walked into the warmth of the house. Shion had started a fire in the hearth, making the house feel warm and toasty. Nezumi couldn't help a small smile as he saw the pathetic "Christmas" tree that Shion had found growing around Dogkeeper's hotel. Nezumi remembered how Shion insisted that Nezumi help him dig it up and place it in an old, dirty bucket to bring home. It wasn't even a Christmas tree—just a young pine sapling that had miraculously been able to take root in the rocky soil around the broken down hotel.

"Everyone needs a Christmas tree for Christmas!" Shion had said happily as he hooked up pine cones and acorns that he had found and placed them on the tree as ornaments.

Now the nearly wilted tree stayed next to the fireplace, its browning needle leaves falling in various places on the floor. Normally, Nezumi would be annoyed by the mess, but the scent of pine wafting throughout the house was nice enough to make him ignore it.

Nezumi took off his shoes and gloves before walking over to the couch where Shion laid, fast asleep. His white hair was a mess upon his head, making him look cute and boyish in the firelight. Suddenly feeling soft, Nezumi couldn't help but bring a hand to Shion's soft locks and stroke it lovingly. Shion's eyelids fluttered before he grinned softly in his sleep and pulled his coat around him tighter. Nezumi smiled softly at the sleeping boy, and he grabbed a wool blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around the white-haired boy. Nezumi straightened and went to the bathroom to wash up and put on some sleeping clothes. But as he walked to the bedroom, yet another wave of guilt crashed into him.

"Arg!" Nezumi groaned, and sat on his bed. He hung his head in his hands and sighed, his earlier soft mood officially ruined to give way to uncomfortable feelings. Why the hell was he so guilty? It wasn't as if he actually wanted to go to the play for Christmas, but now that he had Shion in the house with him, he needed the money to keep them both fed and clothed. If Shion needed someone to celebrate Christmas with, he could always go to Dogkeeper's place or hang out with Rikiga.

Despite all of those options, Nezumi couldn't help but still feel bad. Defeated, Nezumi just lied down on his bed, not bothering to change his clothes. He needed to get up early anyway.

Nezumi felt something thin and hard pressing against his leg, and, confused, he sat up and dug in his pockets. He pulled out the candy canes and stared at them. Why he brought them, he didn't know. He had no intention of eating them, so he might as well give them to Shion in the morning….

With a sudden burst of genius like a punch to the gut, Nezumi had a brilliant idea. Excitement filling his veins, he practically jumped out of bed to put his wonderful plan in action before he could ponder the stupidity of his idea.

Shion yawned and stretched his sore muscles as soft morning light greeted his sleepy eyes. Vision still blurry from sleep, he rubbed his eyes, only to find a wool blanket tangled up in his legs. Shion frowned. How did that blanket get there…?

Shion had originally intended to stay on the couch until Nezumi got home to greet him, but he must've fallen asleep, because it was morning, and Nezumi was gone. Shion felt a sudden pang of sadness that he had missed his chance to talk to Nezumi, but tried not to dwell on it. Nezumi needed to make money, after all.

That was when he looked up at his little "Christmas" tree to find something underneath it. Confused, Shion got up and approached the wilting tree, only to find a surprising sight lying underneath the browning leaves. Candy canes and a note from Nezumi were lying among the fallen leaves. Curious, and a little flattered, Shion picked up the letter and read it aloud;

_Shion,_

_Since I can't be there for you for Christmas day, I decided to try something. Instead of being there on Christmas day, I decided to give you a "Seven days of Christmas" thing. So yeah, hope you like it._

Nezumi didn't sign it, but Shion wasn't surprised. This was Nezumi, after all. Shion picked up the candy canes, a warm, fuzzy feeling suddenly threatening to overflow his chest. _So he thought of me,_ Shion thought, a happy smile tickling its way across his cheeks. He held the candy close to his chest, those warm feelings making him want to cry.

A squeak made Shion look behind him. Cravat the rat was trying to get his attention, and with a wave of panic, Shion remembered. He was late for his job at Dogkeeper's! He quickly got dressed and ran out the door, all the while clutching the candy that Nezumi had sent him.

**GAH SORRY FOR THE LONG BORING CHAPTER! IT WILL GET BETTER I PROMISE!**

**So yeah, I thought it would be a great idea to make a little story with my favorite characters from No. 6 during Christmas. It was going to be 12 days of Christmas, but midterms came up and, well…you know. So now it's 7 days of Christmas. I hope you enjoyed the boring first chapter, and I hope to see you again in the next chapter!**


	2. Day Two

Nezumi wanted to bang his head on something hard as he went backstage for a break after the rehearsal. Why on earth had he allowed himself to do something so stupid as to make a "seven days of Christmas" for Shion? On second thought, why didn't he think his "plan" through before just jumping right into it without a second's hesitation? Nezumi shook his head roughly, disgusted with himself. Shion was probably at home, laughing at him….

"Oi, Nezumi! How nice to see you again!" someone said from behind Nezumi. Recognizing the voice, Nezumi couldn't help but groan as he turned to see the same woman from yesterday, only this time her face was covered in powdery white makeup. Nezumi couldn't remember ever seeing her onstage, but then again, he only focused on his own parts of the play, so even if she was a member of the cast, he wouldn't recognize her.

"What do you want?" Nezumi asked, annoyance lacing his voice as he narrowed his eyes. Couldn't the woman see that he wanted to be alone?

"I just wanted to know if you had talked to that boy. What did he say? Would he like to entertain my daughter?" the woman asked, her eyes wide and hopeful—and a bit jeering.

"No," Nezumi said bluntly, and glared at the woman. Why wouldn't she just go away already?

"Oh. Why not?" the woman asked, starting to look flustered. Her eyes narrowed at Nezumi, a determined look clear in her gaze as her cheeks began to get a bit red with impatience.

"Why do you think? On second thought, why don't you go find some other man-whore to entertain your precious daughter?" Nezumi said angrily, and turned the other way, finally deciding that he was fed up with this strange woman. He left the woman standing there staring at him in shock and went to his dressing room, the only place in the theater where he could be alone with no one to disturb him. The soft candlelight illuminated only a small part of the dark dressing room, but Nezumi didn't care, just as long as he could be alone. The anger he felt at the woman was so intense that he could almost feel it in the air, and he felt the burning desire to punch a hole in the wall. Did people like that woman just exist to piss Nezumi off?

Nezumi took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He needed to go back onstage in a few minutes, and if he didn't look his best, the director would, without a doubt, probably make them start the play over from the beginning. Nezumi sighed and leaned against the dressing table, stressed out. Ever since Shion came into his life, nothing had been easy. Now he needed to provide not just for himself, but for the naïve boy living with him. Nezumi couldn't understand why, but he had this strange need to protect Shion, and to provide him with whatever the boy would need. Lost in his thoughts, Nezumi's hand brushed against the vase that held some flowers that one of his loyal admirers had sent him, and Nezumi regarded the white flowers silently as he calmed. The white petals of the wildflowers gleamed softly in the candlelight, reminding Nezumi of the snow outside in an afternoon sunlight. Or in another sense, Shion's hair in the firelight at home. Nezumi gently grabbed one of them and brought it to his face to sniff it. The light flowery scent filled his nose, and he could feel some pollen lightly dust the tip of his nose.

_Shion would probably like this…._

Nezumi shook his head violently. Why was he thinking this? He needed to stop thinking of Shion and focus on the play, dammit! Nezumi could already hear the director yelling for everyone to take their places on the stage. With a resigned sigh, Nezumi put the flower back in its vase and tried his hardest to push the nagging thoughts of Shion out of his mind as he returned to the stage.

"Dogkeeper, what are you doing for Christmas?" Shion asked politely as Dogkeeper walked up to him, a dog in each of her arms.

"Christmas? I dunno. Probably staying here with my family," she said, and placed the two dogs next to Shion. Shion chuckled when one of them licked his cheek, leaving a wet trail along his face.

"Do you ever get presents?" Shion asked, his ruby eyes sparkling in the cold sunlight as he looked at Dogkeeper, waiting for her answer.

"Presents? Ha! As if I could afford any of that crap," Dogkeeper said, and left him there to wash the dogs. Used to this treatment, Shion just brushed off Dogkeeper's rudeness and continued to clean the dogs while making a mental note to get a gift for Dogkeeper. Shion didn't mind the cold as it bit his wet arms and nipped at his face, but he still tried to hurry so that the dogs didn't suffer too badly in the cold.

Besides, Shion was already feeling quite warm for other reasons. The candy canes were in a pocket close to his chest, and every time he moved, Shion could feel them brushing across his clothes. He hadn't expected Nezumi to do anything for Christmas, and this sudden, sweet gift almost seemed as if Nezumi actually cared about the season. Shion didn't know why, but he felt excited at what Nezumi would bring him tonight—or if he could actually stay awake long enough to talk to him. He wanted to thank Nezumi for his gift, and Shion felt a need to give Nezumi something in return. After all, wasn't Christmas a season for giving?

Shion paused as he thought of what he could give Nezumi. He wasn't sure what kind of gift would be appropriate, now that he thought about it. Lately, things seemed to have been changing for them. It was almost as if they were a bit closer than just friends—but Shion didn't want to voice what else they may be. Shion blushed as a sudden memory of Nezumi giving him an unexpected goodnight kiss only a few weeks ago. Nezumi had blushed right after and rushed to tell him goodnight, but Shion had a feeling that Nezumi meant more by that kiss. When he discussed it with Dogkeeper the next day, she just laughed and told him that Nezumi probably wanted to bang him—whatever that meant.

The dog Shion was cleaning shook itself, splattering water all over Shion. "Hey!" Shion exclaimed, caught off guard, then laughed when the dog began licking his face. "Haha! Okay, I forgive you! Hey, stop!" Shion couldn't help but shriek as two other dogs decided to join in, pouncing on him and licking his face.

"Hey, get back to work! I'm not paying ya to play around!" Dogkeeper yelled at him, although Shion could've sworn he saw her grinning at his distress. For all Shion knew, Dogkeeper probably put the dogs up to this just so she could yell at him.

With a little effort, Shion pushed off the dogs and got back to work, and although his fingers were starting to become numb in the cold, the candy canes next to his chest seemed to keep his entire being warm, simply by being there.

Nezumi was exhausted after the play, his sweat drenched hair clinging to his face as he tried to help move props where they belonged. Practically no one bothered to show up to the performance, much to the director's dismay, and the lack of applause made most of the cast reluctant to continue going on with the play. The director said he would probably cut their payments a little to cover up the theater costs if only a few people show up each night, and everyone, including Nezumi, was a little pissed about that.

Nezumi sighed and tried to maneuver around in his overly dramatic dress, keeping his emotions in check. The cold air hit his sweaty face, making him shiver. He went into the dressing room, took off the makeup and ridiculous dress, and put his hair back up into a ponytail. His gaze wandered to the vase of wildflowers, and he frowned as a pang of worry hit him. Was his "seven days of Christmas" thing even doing any good? He wasn't sure if Shion even liked his idea, and if he did not, then wouldn't Shion think Nezumi was the most ridiculous person on earth if he kept giving him these lame presents? Or if Shion did like it, and Nezumi didn't give him anything, then wouldn't Shion be hurt?

Nezumi sighed and pulled his hands through his hair, thinking. His gaze fell upon one white wildflower among the others in the vase and, with a sudden spasm of certainty, Nezumi made up his mind. He would give it to Shion, and hope Shion liked it. He picked up the flower, hid it in one of his pockets to keep it from the cold wind outside, and set out for home, a soft blush creeping up his cheeks as he tried not to think of what Shion would think of his gift.

Nezumi came home to find Shion sitting on the couch, awake, but just barely. His head kept nodding, and his eyes drooped in exhaustion, but perked right up when Nezumi walked in.

"Nezumi! Welcome home! Thanks for the candy canes," Shion said, jumping up from the couch and wrapping his arms around Nezumi. Nezumi sighed as Shion's warmth surrounded him like a blanket, and he closed his eyes slightly before pulling Shion away from him to look at him face to face.

"It was nothing," Nezumi grumbled, the happy look in Shion's sparkling red eyes nearly making him blush.

"No, really, it means a lot to me that you would think of me," Shion said earnestly, his tired eyes beholding Nezumi's shivering frame.

"I made you some supper. It's not much, but I wanted to thank you for thinking of me."

"Yeah, thanks," Nezumi replied, and averted his eyes. So Shion did like his idea….

Something dark and heavy that weighted down his chest suddenly evaporated and was replaced with a warm, fuzzy feeling that made Nezumi want to smile. He resisted the urge and turned to Shion.

"I'm off to start a fire. You look freezing," Shion said, and without another word, went into the other room to warm up the house. Nezumi looked after him before settling down in a chair. He took out the flower from his pocket and looked at it, grinning. So Shion actually liked his idea, huh? Knowing that made him feel so much better about the whole thing.

Nezumi heard Shion coming back into the room, and quickly put the flower back into his chest pocket before Shion could see.

"It should get a little warmer now that I started the fire. You should eat something," Shion said, and Nezumi noticed Shion's eyelids droop.

"You should be getting some sleep. Don't you have to do something tomorrow with Rikiga?" Nezumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shion blushed. "Yeah, I know. But I wanted to see you, since I didn't see you yesterday," Shion said, looking at the ground.

Nezumi felt touched. "Thanks, but I think you should get some sleep. You look like the dead."

Shion chuckled. "Okay, I'll try to stay up tomorrow to see you again."

"Okay. Goodnight," Nezumi said, and got up to get a plate.

"Um, Nezumi?" Shion asked, and Nezumi looked up to see Shion's face looking almost as red as his scar.

"Shion, what's—" Nezumi couldn't finish his sentence, because with a burst of courage, Shion had walked up to him, grabbed Nezumi's face, and gave him a light peck on his lips.

"Uh, g-goodnight!" Shion said, his eyes widening in horror at what he had done. Embarrassed, he ran out of the room like a bat out of hell, leaving Nezumi standing there, stunned. Shion had just kissed him. Why did Shion just kiss him?!

With a shaking hand, Nezumi brushed his thumb over his lips. Although the kiss was brief, he could still feel the sensation of Shion's lips on his. Nezumi suddenly remembered the kiss he gave Shion a few weeks ago, and blushed. He wasn't thinking right then, and although he didn't regret kissing Shion, he had a feeling that they may be just a bit more than friends….

Nezumi shook his head and pulled his hands through his hair, frustrated. He was hungry and tired. Maybe he will figure out what everything means in the morning?

Nezumi sighed and took the flower out of his pocket and regarded it intensely. He still wanted to give Shion the flower, but wasn't sure if it would mean they were just friends, or if they were…something else entirely.

Well, only one way to find out.

Nezumi noted that Shion went into the bedroom and not the living room where the tree was, so he crept into the living room to place the flower beneath the tree. It looked silly; a white wildflower beneath a wilting pine sapling, but Nezumi didn't care. He went back into the kitchen to eat supper before going to bed on the couch, his mind full of what Shion had meant by that "goodnight" kiss.

**Sorry for the late upload! I meant to upload this yesterday, but I had so many things to do that I ended up not doing it. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in few hours.**

**Thanks to all who read this! I didn't think this was going to get as many views as it did, so I'm really honored that so many of you liked it! I hope you liked this chapter, and I hope to see you in the next one! :)**


	3. Day Three

Shion woke when the soft rays of morning sunlight hit his eyelids, and he yawned. Gee, what a night! He had never stayed up so late before, and when he finally got to sleep, he just conked out like the dead!

Like the dead…

Shion's face flushed as remembered what he did last night. That sudden kiss must have been a result of too much happiness when Shion finally got to see Nezumi after a whole day of his absence. Yeah, that was it.

Shaking his head, Shion got out of bed and stretched his tired muscles. He yawned again and tried not to think about what he did last night as he walked out of the room to get some breakfast. He padded into the kitchen to find Macbeth and Cravat sitting on one of the wooden stools, nibbling away on what seemed to be some crumbs of bread. Cravat looked up as Shion walked in, and squeaked a greeting before continuing to eat.

"Good morning to you, too," Shion said happily, and pat the two rats on their heads. Macbeth squeaked and jumped off of the stool, running past a startled Shion.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Shion asked aloud, and followed the rat into the living room, worried. Was there something wrong?

Macbeth stopped in front of the tree and squeaked loudly, startling Shion yet again. What was wrong with Macbeth…?

Shion's gaze rose to under the pine sapling and he nearly stopped breathing at what he saw. Under the tree, amid the fallen, brown needles, was a beautiful, pure white wildflower. Shion slowly picked up the flower and felt the fragile petals wrap around his fingers, and its subtle scent wafted around Shion's nose.

"So this is what he got me?" Shion murmured aloud, and closed his eyes. A feeling that closely resembled drinking hot chocolate after being out in the cold wrapped around Shion, and he smiled as he held the flower close. The simple gift was astoundingly beautiful, and the flower hadn't even withered in the night that it had been lying under the tree. Shion brought the flower up to his face and sniffed it, bright yellow pollen dusting the tip of his nose.

"It smells so nice," Shion murmured, and opened his eyes to see Macbeth watching him curiously, his head cocked to the side in amusement.

"What do you think I should give Nezumi for Christmas, Macbeth?" Shion asked the rat. Macbeth looked at him quizzically before scampering off back into the kitchen, leaving Shion alone in the living room.

Shion sighed, content and thoughtful. Nezumi was so kind to him. First candy canes, now a flower? Suddenly, Shion decided not to regret kissing Nezumi goodnight last night. Although Shion had, at the time, meant for it to be more than a chaste kiss goodnight, he was still glad that he did it. This gift also must mean that Nezumi wasn't mad at his sudden rash move, which made Shion happy. But what could Shion give to Nezumi that would repay him for his thoughtfulness?

Shion pondered about that as he returned to the kitchen, flower in hand, to get ready for the day.

"This filthy prop! It's completely useless!" The director yelled, completely pissed off, and threw the nearly shattered snow globe across the stage, and nearly hit an unexpecting Nezumi.

"Hey! Watch where you are throwing that crap!" Nezumi yelled in retaliation, and flipped his hair in annoyance. The director had been pissed off all day, and his attitude was really beginning to rub off on everyone in the cast as well.

The director heaved a heavy sigh and turned to Nezumi.

"I need ya to go to the store and get a new snow globe. You don't go on for a while, so take this money and buy a new one," the director said, and dug around in his pocket and pulled out a few coins. He handed them to Nezumi and glared at him, making even Nezumi a little worried. The director was really stressed out nowadays….

"There should be a snow globe in the store next door. I don't have time to go and get it, so I'm counting on you!" the director said, then sat back down in his chair and continued on with the play.

_So he wants me to just waltz into the store in a dress like this and expects me return?_ Nezumi thought snippily as he walked off the stage and out of the door and into the cold air of the day. Despite the brightly shining sun, the streets were covered in snow, so there weren't many people out braving the cold as Nezumi hurried out to get to the store, his heels clicking on the slippery sidewalk. He clutched the money in his hand and entered the store, and found himself face to face with multiple snow globes.

_Ugh, which one should I get?_ Nezumi fretted when the store clerk suddenly appeared.

"Hello, Nezumi! Long time no see," the man said, and Nezumi, recognizing the voice, turned and saw his old friend, Tsukasa.

"Hey, Tsukasa! How did you know it was me?" Nezumi said, and shook the man's extended hand in greeting.

Tsukasa shrugged and smiled. "I heard you were in the play, so I kinda figured you'd be in a dress, considering how your stage name is Eve."

Nezumi shrugged and grinned.

"I guess that's fair enough. Can you help me find a snow globe for the play? I have to be back on in a few minutes, so I have to hurry."

"No problem! Dogkeeper just brought in a few more this morning. They're all broken, but that's no surprise, considering how the people of the inner city just dump them out once they have a small crack," Tsukasa said, and laughed.

"I have one that looks like the one the director bought a few weeks ago. You think that's the one he wants?" Tsukasa asked as he turned to go into the back of the store.

"Probably," Nezumi said, and went to the counter to count out the coins. It wasn't much, but Nezumi knew that Tsukasa and the director were on good terms, so hopefully Tsukasa would cut the cost a little bit….

Tsukasa returned with a nearly identical snow globe, and Nezumi nearly sighed in relief.

"Hmm, that seems like it should do," Tsukasa said, and took the coins from Nezumi.

"Thanks a lot. I think you just saved the director from another heart attack," Nezumi said, and frowned when Tsukasa started to wrap a red ribbon with a small silver colored bell around the snow globe.

"What are you doing?" Nezumi asked, a bit confused. He just needed to get the snow globe back to the theater, so he didn't understand why Tsukasa was wrapping that thing around it.

"The boss demands we put a 'gratitude' gift around everything we sell. It's such a pain, but it pays, I guess," Tsukasa said, then handed the snow globe to Nezumi.

"Tell the director I said hello," Tsukasa said, and Nezumi nodded before heading out the door, a cold wind making his dress swish in the air.

Nezumi regarded the small bell tied tightly around the prop. It was rather cute, and when Nezumi jiggled the snow globe, he could hear the soft tinkling sound it made. Nezumi grinned at the small bell as he entered the theater, where the director was waiting impatiently for him.

"It's about TIME you showed up!" the director exclaimed, and nearly yanked the new prop out of Nezumi's grip. Nezumi felt a flash of irritation at the director's foul mood, but quickly brushed it off.

"What the hell is this for?" the director asked snippily, and nearly tore off the bell and ribbon—which would have probably broke the new snow globe as well.

Nezumi shrugged. "Gratitude gift?"

"Well, I don't want it. Take it and get the hell back onstage!" the director grumbled, and threw the bell at Nezumi, which tinkled softly once Nezumi caught it. It didn't weigh much, but it still shone brightly in the dim stage lights.

As Nezumi performed during the rehearsal, thoughts of Shion suddenly surfaced, making him stutter during one of his lines. He had placed the bell in one of the hidden pockets of his dress, and his hand crept slowly to it. He didn't know if Shion had liked his last gift, but with a sense of certainty, he had a feeling that Shion would probably like the little bell.

He suddenly remembered the kiss Shion gave him last night, and tried his best to cover up the blush that crept up his cheeks as he gave his line. Nezumi still wasn't sure what Shion had meant by that kiss. Did he mean it as a way to say goodnight, or…?

No. It must have been a simple goodnight kiss. This was Shion, for Christsakes! That naïve, innocent boy wouldn't have meant anything big by that little kiss, would he?

Nezumi resisted the urge to shake his head. He was so confused by that. It was a simple goodnight kiss. So why did he have the feeling that it meant more than that?

That night had a much better turnout than the last. The theater was practically brimming with people, and Nezumi couldn't help but feel a little pride in his performance as he walked home. He had also been able to evade that dreadful woman, which just added to his happiness. Nezumi unlocked the door to find Shion fast asleep on the couch. Nezumi chuckled and walked over to the sleeping boy, and ran his hand through Shion's snow-white hair.

"You really need to stop trying to wait for me," Nezumi murmured, and continued to stroke Shion's hair. Although Shion had fallen asleep, Nezumi was still touched that Shion would try to stay up this late to wait for him to return. Nezumi's hand glided down to the snakelike scar on Shion's cheek, and Nezumi stroked it with his thumb. The skin there was a bit rougher than the rest of Shion's cheek, but the scar was still so alluring in its own way. Nezumi bent down to kiss Shion's forehead, his cold lips lightly making contact with Shion's warm skin. Nezumi got back up and saw Shion slightly open his eyes.

Oops. He accidentally woke Shion up.

"Nezumi? Welcome home," Shion said in a heavy, sleepy voice, and lifted his hand to Nezumi.

"Hey," Nezumi said gently and, realizing his hand was still entangled in Shion's hair, pulled his hand free and looked at Shoin.

"You should go back to sleep," Nezumi said, and Shion smiled.

"Thanks so much for the flower, Nezumi," Shion mumbled, his eyelids beginning to droop in exhaustion. Gee, Rikiga must've made him run ragged with errands or something….

"It was nothing," Nezumi said, though he felt something warm bloom inside his chest. So he did like it….

"Mmm, Nezumi? Can you sleep with me tonight?" Shion asked, and Nezumi's heart nearly pounded out of his chest in surprise.

What?

What did he mean by that? Why would Shion ask him to sleep with him…?

When Shion opened the covers, the realization hit Nezumi, and he nearly blushed in embarrassment. So Shion just meant to sleep!

Nezumi couldn't help but feel perverted—and slightly disappointed, for some reason— as he got under the covers with Shion. The couch was a bit small, so Nezumi had to cuddle close to Shion to fit. Shion's warmth felt so inviting to Nezumi's cold body, and Nezumi sighed contently as Shion began to fall back to sleep.

_I'll give him his gift before I leave in the morning,_ Nezumi thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around his sleeping angel and fell to sleep, his face buried in Shion's cloudlike hair.

**Sorry for the wait! I really didn't mean to wait this long to update, but there was a Home Alone marathon playing, and I got kind of distracted…**

**Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! A HUGE thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed my story! It really means a lot to me that you would do that :) I'll update the next chapter as soon as I can!**


	4. Day Four

Shion stirred when the sun's morning rays gently kissed his eyelids, and he opened his sleepy eyes to find that Nezumi had left already left for practice. Shion placed a warm hand over the now cold spot where Nezumi had lain next to him, and he smiled. For some reason, he felt a sort of victory that he had convinced Nezumi to sleep with him last night. He could still feel Nezumi's wind-chilled arms wrapping tightly around him, and Shion sighed contently, just lying on the couch and attempting to wake up.

Once Shion felt fully awake, he got off of the couch and stretched, then, with a sudden burst of eagerness, went to the tree to see what Nezumi had left him today.

The bell was so small that if the bright red ribbon wasn't there to draw Shion's attention to it, he would have missed it entirely. Shion picked up the fragile looking bell and placed it in his palm, the ribbon flowing through his fingers like silky water. Shion noticed the bell was cold, and he clenched it in his fist to warm it up, a smile slowly creeping up his face as he closed his eyes. It didn't matter that Nezumi had already gotten him gifts for three days already; Shion always felt so warm and happy to know that Nezumi continued to give him gifts. Shion wondered briefly where Nezumi continued to get these gifts, but quickly brushed the thought off with a shrug. He probably didn't want to know.

Shion's fuzzy daze was interrupted by a knock at the door. Curious as to who would be visiting so early in the morning, Shion placed the bell carefully back under the tree and went to answer the door.

On the other side of the door was Dogkeeper, looking almost panicked as she clutched two sickly looking puppies in each of her hands.

"Shion! Thank god you're here! You gotta help me—I don't know what to do!" Dogkeeper said in a panic, startling Shion. He had never seen Dogkeeper's face so pinched with worry before. Dogkeeper barged into the house, and Shion, after quickly closing the door behind her, followed Dogkeeper to the couch, where she placed the two puppies.

"What happened? What's wrong with them?" Shion asked, a tightness beginning to form in his throat. He knew how much Dogkeeper cared about her dogs—it was as if they were her family. And these were puppies, too….

"I don't know what happened! I woke up this morning and they were like this. Are they going to be okay?" Dogkeeper asked worriedly as Shion ran a finger across each of the puppies' noses. They were warm and dry, not a good sign. Shion noted with a sinking feeling that the young pups were breathing heavily, their tiny bodies heaving up and down rapidly with their fast paced breaths.

"So far, it just looks like some sort of fever to me," Shion said uncertainly, and patted Dogkeeper's hand. "They need a warm place to rest and a lot of water to keep them hydrated."

"But my hotel is freezing. There's no way that they'll rest in a warm place there," Dogkeeper mumbled, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Before Shion could open his mouth to say anything, Dogkeeper snapped back to attention and glared at Shion sharply. Shion nearly shuddered when he saw that intense gaze upon him—it meant that Dogkeeper had an idea and that she wasn't going to back down until she got her way.

"I'm letting them stay with you. You know how to take care of them, and I can't leave the hotel for long without someone trying to break in or something."

Shion gave a startled laugh. "I can't do that. Nezumi doesn't like dogs, remember?" Shion tried to reason, but the look in Dogkeeper's eyes made him stop short. Shion nearly shook his head in defeat. There was no use in trying to reason with that stubborn woman once she made up her mind.

Shion sighed and slumped his shoulders, his heart sinking down onto his feet. "Alright, I'll look after them," he mumbled, and turned his attention to the sick pups. He was hoping for the day off to clean up the house a little for Christmas, but with the two puppies now in his care, he didn't see that happening anytime soon.

"Atta boy! I'm counting on you, Shion. Take care of them, and bring them by tomorrow when they're better," Dogkeeper said, her worried expression shifting into one of relief.

Or so it would seem. Shion noticed the worried look in her eyes lingered as she gazed at the sleeping puppies, so much like how a mother would look if her children had gotten sick.

Dogkeeper noticed Shion staring, and huffed, offended to be caught in such a state.

"Stupid boy, didn't your mother tell you it's rude to stare?" she muttered, and left without a backward glance. Shion flinched when he heard the door slam, and he got up to lock the door before turning his attention back to the pups. He made a small nest of blankets on the couch and placed the puppies in it, then started a fire to keep them warm. After making sure the puppies were tightly bundled and warm, Shion sighed and sat down, placing his head in his hands. How on earth was he going to explain this to Nezumi? He knew that Nezumi was going to be pissed if the puppies did anything to make the house smell bad or look different, even if only slightly.

But then again, Nezumi was going to be gone most of the time, so if Shion managed to hide the puppies in the short time Nezumi was actually home…maybe he could get away with it?

Shion's head began to hurt, and he sighed again. His gaze lifted to the silver gift Nezumi had left him, and Shion's heart pounded while a soft blush crept up his cheeks. Lately, it seemed as if that happened whenever he simply thought of Nezumi. Nezumi, with his long black hair and storm grey eyes…the boy that Shion had rescued so long ago in the rain, and also the same boy who had saved him from the police only a few short months ago. Shion sighed and closed his eyes, his body suddenly turning warm…

A small whimper startled Shion out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to see one of the puppies stretching, nearly tumbling off of the couch.

"Ah! Hold on, I'm coming!" Shion said, and rushed to catch the falling puppy.

Nezumi couldn't help but feel smug when he found himself able to both successfully avoid the annoying woman and find something for Shion—a cookie. The director, feeling bad for his harsh treatment of everyone yesterday, had bought some cookies from a local bakery and gave each of the cast members one. Nezumi didn't care much for sweets, but the moment the cookie was handed to him, he remembered Shion's fixation for sweets, and accepted it with a goofy smile on his face, which many people were astonished, and a few horrified, to see on the apathetic Nezumi's face.

Nezumi had felt elated when he woke up that morning with a sleeping Shion bundled up in his arms, and now all Nezumi could think about was Shion, Shion, Shion. That white haired boy never strayed from his mind, and his heart pounded whenever he closed his eyes to find Shion there, his smiling face greeting Nezumi with that innocent look in his eyes.

Unfortunately, it was also a major distraction from what he desperately needed to focus on—the play.

Nezumi didn't understand why he was feeling this way, but he had a feeling that this strong, overpowering emotion went way beyond the borders of simple friendship. He found himself wishing to be next to Shion all day, and this was starting to piss him off. Shion was a _friend_, but his heart seemed to continually say otherwise, and that made Nezumi angry.

Nezumi sighed and sat down on the floor of his dressing room, pulling his hands through his hair in misery. He was worried about going home—or actually, what might happen if he saw Shion again. He knew that these feelings for Shion were wrong, and that there was absolutely NO way that Shion would ever feel the same for him.

Nezumi sighed and put the cookie in his chest pocket before heading out into the cold, the constant worry about his own feelings ringing endlessly in his chest as he walked the slick, slippery sidewalk home.

Nezumi knew something was different the moment he walked through the door. Concerned, he walked into the living room to find a strange, appalling sight. For on the couch was Shion, asleep as usual, but in the crook of his arms were two small puppies, sleeping soundly curled up against Shion's chest and face. What on earth were some of Dogkeeper's stupid mutts doing here…?

Nezumi immediately knew that Dogkeeper was probably up to one of her old tricks again, and growled under his breath. He knew that Shion knew that Nezumi hated dogs, therefore would not intentionally bring a puppy into the house without asking Nezumi about it first. But nevertheless, the two puppies were still here. Dogkeeper must've forced the dogs on Shion or something, and Nezumi shook his head, his momentary anger dissipating into exhaustion.

Whatever. Normally, Nezumi would be furious about this turn of events, but he was too exhausted from his battle of feelings today to care.

Nezumi moved silently to the tree as not to wake Shion and placed the cookie under the tree soundlessly. He was glad that he had the sense to wrap the cookie in paper earlier so the rats didn't decide to eat it before Shion awoke. He just hoped that the puppies didn't decide to jump up and make it their midnight snack.

Nezumi heard Shion mumble something in his sleep, and Nezumi turned back to see that Shion had pulled the puppies closer and rubbed his face against their small, petite bodies.

Although Nezumi hated dogs of any type, puppy or full grown, he couldn't help but think that Shion cuddling with some puppies was rather…cute.

Nezumi sighed as a familiar, warm feeling hit him. It was the same feeling he had been harboring all day.

"Gah, what is wrong with me?" Nezumi muttered under his breath, and walked away from the white haired boy to go to the bedroom and clear his thoughts. He would think about this in the morning. Right now, he just wanted to sleep.

**Sorry for another lame chapter! I was in a bit of a rush to get this one done, so I apologize if it wasn't as good as the others. But the next one will be a lot better, I promise! :D**

**Thanks a lot for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! HUGE thanks to everyone who follows, faves, and/or reviews my little story. It really means a lot to me!**

** (And uhm…the last time I checked, this story had, well, 69 views for the day lolololol keep up the good work guys! XD )**


	5. Day Five

Shion nearly jumped off of the couch the moment consciousness hit him, and he looked around in confusion and sharp disappointment. He had only meant to close his eyes for a moment as the puppies curled around his chest for warmth, but ended up falling completely asleep, and missed his chance, yet _again_, to talk to Nezumi! Shion felt disgusted with himself and his inability to stay up just for a few hours more, and he petted the puppies against his chest to try and calm down.

One of Nezumi's rats squeaked, drawing Shion's attention to under the pathetic tree. Shion frowned when he saw Cravat and Croissant trying to unwrap something paper-like under the tree. Careful not to wake the puppies, Shion got up to investigate what they were trying to do, and with a flash of warmth, saw that Nezumi had left him yet another gift. This gift was round and flat, and wrapped tightly in brown paper. By now, Shion had figured that Nezumi would keep his promise of leaving him something every day until Christmas, but it still didn't dampen the warm, fuzzy feelings that he got when he saw something new under the tree every morning.

Shion picked up the gift before the rats could tear it apart, and turned it over in his hands curiously, wondering what was inside. This was the first time Nezumi had wrapped his gift, and Shion was overcome with a sort of childish excitement as he unwrapped the small gift with nimble fingers, an excited grin upon his face. The paper fell to the floor, making a toy for the rats as Shion beheld what Nezumi had left him.

Shion smiled at what he saw. Nezumi had somehow been able to find him a cookie. One of Shion's favorites, he noted, as he brought it to his nose and sniffed, smiling softly. Chocolate chip. The smell reminded him of home, back in Lost Town, when his mother would wake early in the morning to start baking bread and sweets….

A sudden, sharp pang of homesickness hit Shion, and he sat down next to the puppies, his earlier happy mood disappearing in a flash. For the first time in a while, Shion remembered that his mother would be spending Christmas without him, and this was to be Shion's first Christmas away from his mom and friends. Shion sighed as a wave of deep sadness and longing descended on him, and he hung his head, the cookie forgotten on his lap.

He missed his mom.

One of the puppies next to him stirred and opened its eyes, then began pawing at his leg affectionately. Shion turned his attention back to the small pup and attempted to smile.

"Do you miss your mother, too?" Shion asked, and placed a hand on the puppy's small head. Shion's vision went blurry, and he realized that he had been crying. He quickly swiped the tears away with his free hand, only to realize that more tears had taken their place. Shion shook his head roughly, trying to clear his thoughts. Nezumi had told him to forget about his past, and to not feel so clingy when he thought of his mother, but no matter how hard Shion tried to obey, he couldn't help but cry. The tears spilled from his eyes as he tried to hold himself back, and the puppy crawled in his lap, gazing at him in confusion and pity. The puppy licked Shion's hand and laid its warm head on Shion's arm, and Shion, touched by the kind gesture, smiled sadly and pulled the puppy against his chest.

For the first time this week, Shion found himself wishing, more than ever, that Nezumi was home.

After a brief encounter with that annoying woman, Nezumi was able to start on his way home. Now that he thought about it, the woman's strange advances had started to become less and less frequent, as if she had finally caught the hint.

It was about time!

Nezumi couldn't wait to get home to place Shion's gift under the tree. Nezumi felt rather smug about this gift, almost thinking that Shion wouldn't be able to handle the awesomeness of this gift. The director had decided that he was sick of the same Christmas music playing on the old, nearly broken phonograph. The director told one of the backstage members to start playing different music on the old, off-key piano that someone had dug out of a dump somewhere, and the director was about to throw away the records when Nezumi told him that he would take them. The director looked at him funny before giving them to Nezumi, but Nezumi ignored the strange stares, knowing that he had an old record that still worked somewhere in his cluttered library. He now had a chance to show Shion how to work something from such a long time ago, way before the city of No. 6 was created. Nezumi knew that Shion loved learning about those types of things so, in Nezumi's mind, he was giving Shion two gifts at once—the gift of music, and the gift of learning something new.

Nezumi walked into the cold night air, a smug smile on his face and his breath fogging before his eyes as he made his way down the icy sidewalk. The moon was almost full tonight, and freshly fallen snow scattered the street in white puddles that contrasted against the black asphalt. Nezumi could feel the large records bump against his back, as his pockets were in no way big enough to place them. Nezumi had put them on his back right before putting on his coat to leave. It felt a little awkward, but he never knew if Shion would suddenly bring him in for a hug if he was awake, and he didn't want to risk Shion finding them before the next morning.

Of course, he was just excited because he was a friend giving another friend an awesome gift. Nothing more than that.

Right?

Nezumi's cold, numb fingers struggled with unlocking the door, but he eventually got it, and opened the door to find a fire in the hearth, but no Shion on the couch. Luckily, the dogs Shion had been taking care of seemed to be gone, which was a nice plus.

_He must've slept on the bed today_, Nezumi mused to himself as he shrugged off his jacket to place the records under the tree. They didn't quite fit under the young, dying sapling, but he managed it by quietly moving the branches around, so the records were pretty much lying on top of the tree, impossible to miss.

Nezumi was just about to settle down on the couch to sleep when he swore he heard something coming from the bedroom. Nezumi lifted his head off of the arm of the couch and looked toward the direction of the bedroom in confusion. It sounded like a…sniffle?

The sound came again, and Nezumi got off of the couch, worrying. Was Shion alright? The last thing he needed was Shion catching a cold in this weather….

He entered the room to find Shion lying on the bed, facing away from him. Nezumi would have thought Shion was just sleeping if it wasn't for the sniffle/hiccup that came from Shion's figure.

"Shion? Are you okay?" Nezumi asked as he made his way over to the white-haired boy. When Shion didn't respond, Nezumi shook Shion's shoulder, and to his surprise, Shion smacked his hand away.

"Hey! Are you okay? Shion?" Nezumi said, even more worried when he saw Shion's shoulders shake with a sob.

"I'm fine," Shion replied in a shaky voice, his back still turned to Nezumi. Nezumi frowned and furrowed his brows as he bent around to grab Shion's chin.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Shion."

He brought Shion's face gently but firmly to face him, and Nezumi's heart nearly broke at what he saw.

Shion's eyes were rimmed in red from crying, and his face looked puffy. Nezumi could see fresh tear stains covering Shion's face, and he looked so miserable that Nezumi nearly panicked. He didn't know what to do!

"Shion, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Nezumi asked as Shion hiccupped and tried to turn his face back to the wall. Nezumi held Shion's chin firmly and brought his face a bit closer. He was going to find out what had made Shion so upset, even if Shion hated him for it.

"It's nothing, really," Shion murmured, averting both his eyes and the question.

"Shion, if something is bothering you so much that it makes you cry, then you should tell me about it," Nezumi tried to reason, and Shion looked at him, his ruby eyes sparkling with tears.

"It's just…I miss my mom. I felt so homesick all day, and no matter what I do, I can't stop crying! I just want to go home," Shion mumbled miserably before another hiccup hit him. Another round of tears threatened to come about, but Shion held them in, desperate not to cry in front of Nezumi. He knew that Nezumi would be mad at him for being so clingy to his past…

Much to Shion's surprise, Nezumi brought him in for a tight hug, Shion being picked up and held close to the warm black-haired boy. Pressed against Nezumi's chest, Shion couldn't help but feel so safe and secure, and he nearly closed his eyes. He felt as if his heart had been iced over and broken, but with that simple hug, Nezumi had warmed up the pieces of his heart, and slowly put them back together.

Nezumi realized with a sudden sense of urgency that he was warmer than Shion—and Nezumi had just gotten out of the cold. Maybe Shion really was sick….

"It's okay to cry about it," Nezumi said softly into Shion's hair, and he heard Shion make a noise of acknowledgement. "It's the first time you spent Christmas without your mother or your friends. It's okay to feel bad about it."

Instead of answering with words, Shion pulled Nezumi closer until their bodies were so close that not even a slip of paper could come between them. Nezumi was surprised at this sudden gesture, but didn't question it as Shion began to shake with sobs and bawl into his chest. Nezumi felt his heart breaking at how Shion was feeling, and he brought his arms around Shion's back and patted him as Shion cried. Although what Shion was feeling had never been what Nezumi had to feel before, it made Shion hurt, which in turn, hurt Nezumi.

Enveloped in Nezumi's warmth, Shion couldn't help but let go and cry. He could feel his tears soaking in Nezumi's shirt, but he couldn't help himself as Nezumi wrapped his warm arms around Shion's cold body. Shion clung desperately to Nezumi, and Nezumi talked at him softly while rubbing his back. It felt so good and comforting, so much that Shion's tears only lasted a few short minutes before he lost the energy to cry any more.

They stayed like that, just hugging, with Shion's face in Nezumi's chest, and Nezumi's head on top of Shion's silky hair. Shion could hear Nezumi's heartbeat pulsing against his ear, and it formed such a hypnotic, rhythmic beat. Shion could feel himself beginning to fall asleep to the rhythm of Nezumi's heart when he felt Nezumi's hand gently cup the bottom of Shion's chin. Nezumi gazed at Shion with a strange expression before slowly leaning in.

With a jolt, Shion realized what Nezumi was about to do. However, the moment Nezumi's lips touched Shion's with a featherlike grace, bolts of electricity erupted between them, and Shion slipped his eyes shut, unable to fight the electricity between them.

Nezumi didn't think. When he saw Shion's sad face as he began to drift off to sleep listening to the sound of Nezumi's own heart, Nezumi's mind went blank as a fuzzy, intense feeling filled him, making him warm. He cupped Shion's chin and brought his lips to Shion's, unable to control himself. He pressed against Shion's cool lips gently, trying not to startle the ruby-eyed boy. He had the unspeakable need to kiss away those tears, to hold Shion close as he hurt and cried. He slipped his eyes shut and deepened the kiss slightly when Shion began to softly kiss him back, his cooler lips molding softly with Nezumi's warm ones. Shion's arms wrapped around Nezumi's shoulders and pulled him in close as Nezumi's free arm came up behind Shion's head to trap him there.

Electricity crackled between the boys as they deepened their kiss, Nezumi's tongue slipping into Shion's mouth. Shion moaned softly and did the same, electing a soft groan from Nezumi as he pulled the white-haired boy even closer. This was much more intense than their last few kisses….

Suddenly realizing what he was doing, Nezumi opened his eyes with a startled noise and pulled away from Shion, both boys breathing heavily.

"Shion, I…I didn't mean to," Nezumi started before his face became bright red with embarrassment. How could he be so stupid?! He just took advantage of Shion's pain and kissed him, without a care for how Shion would feel about it! Nezumi could feel the intense heat spreading up his face, and he looked down.

But Shion did kiss him back…

"I'm so sorry about that. It won't happen again, I promise. I'm just tired, is all. I'll go to bed now, I should be better by tomorrow," Nezumi stammered incoherently, and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Once Nezumi got to the couch, he crumbled down into a ball, holding his face in his hands. What the hell did he just do?

**Wow, this chapter is really long…**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully I'll have the next one up in an hour or two, considering how I skipped a day a while back. **

**Thanks to all those who faved, followed, and/or reviewed! It means a lot to me! :D**


	6. Day Six

Shion awoke from sleep, his eyelids fluttering as he took a deep breath and yawned. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room, trying to make the dizziness of sleep disappear. He didn't know what to think of last night, when Nezumi had kissed him. Shion had always known that there was something special between the both of them, but last night, it became clear to him that their relationship was no longer just friendship. Shion placed a hand over his heart as a rush of unfamiliar feelings came over him. No, they were much more than that. Now that Shion knew Nezumi held the same feelings for him as Shion did for Nezumi, Shion had the feeling that the boy who had always been on his mind since that rainy day four years ago was much more than his friend.

Shion sighed and clenched the soft fabric of his shirt. He had wanted to tell Nezumi to stop being so flustered every time they kissed and that he had feelings for Nezumi, but Nezumi had stuttered an apology and ran out of the room before Shion could even open his mouth. He wanted to go after him, but held himself back, since Nezumi had to get up early. Shion didn't want Nezumi to be exhausted because he had kept him up.

Shion suddenly got a brilliant idea, and took his hand off of his chest. Tonight, he would stay up and tell Nezumi how he felt. Yeah, maybe Nezumi wouldn't be so embarrassed if Shion told him that he felt the same way. Happy with his resolution, Shion got out of the warm bed and walked out of the room, and went to the tree to see what Nezumi had left him today. At first glance, Shion didn't really know what the large black discs were, but upon closer inspection, he saw that they were…records? Shion's eyes widened in astonishment. He didn't know these still existed…it must've been really hard for Nezumi to find these!

Unfortunately, he didn't know how to work them, and Shion just picked up the three large, light disks and brought them to the library. He saw an old phonograph there the other day, and he knew that the records were supposed to play on them. He gently placed the three records on the old record player, smiling as a rush of those familiar, warm feelings engulfed him, making him nearly blush with happiness. He loved that, despite the awkwardness between them, Nezumi had brought him a gift.

The sound of rats squeaking brought Shion out of his daze, and he looked to the rats.

"Hey, guys," Shion greeted, and petted each of them on their small heads. Suddenly feeling more generous than ever, Shion walked to the kitchen and took out a slice of stale bread, broke it in small pieces, and gave it to the rats, who gobbled it up the moment the pieces hit the floor. It was Christmas Eve, after all, and Shion knew that the rats needed some sort of present, even though they were animals.

_I still don't know what I'm going to give to Nezumi,_ Shion thought to himself, and frowned. Of course, nothing would be able to match the generosity that Nezumi had shown Shion, but Shion needed to give _something_ to Nezumi in order to repay him.

A thought popped into Shion's head, and he smiled at his great idea. He was planning to visit Dogkeeper's place again today to check up on the puppies…while he was there, he could ask Dogkeeper. Pleased with this plan, Shion trotted to the bedroom to get ready to set out.

"Dogkeeper, what do you think I should get Nezumi for Christmas?" Shion asked as Dogkeeper plopped herself down on the stairs, a bottle of what appeared to be beer in her hand.

"Hell, I dunno. It's not like we're friends or anything," Dogkeeper said, and took a long swig of her beer. Shion held a puppy in his hand, stroking its fur as it insistently licked and nibbled on his fingers.

"But you've knew him longer than I have. Are you sure you don't know?" Shion asked, his heart deflating. He was so sure that Dogkeeper would harbor some hints as to what Nezumi would want…

"Nope. Maybe you should bang him. Now that's what I would call a nice Christmas gift!" Dogkeeper said, and laughed loudly as she took another long swig of beer.

Huh?

Shion remembered Dogkeeper said something about Nezumi wanted to "bang" him, but Shion had no clue as to what that meant. By Dogkeeper's nasty laugh, Shion knew it wasn't something very nice.

"Dogkeeper, what do you mean by 'banging'?" Shion asked innocently, and Dogkeeper just stared at him, her eyes having a 'did you really just say that' look in them.

Then she burst into another fit of laughter, tears beginning to form in her eyes as the mere sound of her hysterical laughing bounced off of the walls. Shion just watched her, feeling stupid. He really wasn't used to talking slang, or whatever form 'banging' came in.

"Wow, Shion. You really are dumber than a pile of bricks, aren't ya?" Dogkeeper said once she had wiped away the tears and regained control of her breathing. Shion felt the need to tell her that back in Chronos, he had been one of the top elite students in his class, but resisted and just nodded, silently asking her to continue.

"It means that you should have sex with him," she said bluntly, and Shion, taken completely off guard, stared at her before blushing a bright crimson.

Dogkeeper chuckled, her beer sloshing around in her bottle. "What? It's a joke, Shion. Don't take it too seriously."

"But you're suggesting that I should have…sex…with Nezumi?" Shion asked, his face hot with embarrassment. He liked Nezumi—no, more like really, _really_ liked him—but never once had Shion thought that he should have _sex _with him!

Dogkeeper rolled her eyes, ignoring Shion's flustered appearance.

"Of course that was what I was suggesting, dimwit," she said, and took a chug of her beer. "And knowing how weird he is, he'd probably like it!"

They sat in silence for a moment, Shion feeling flustered and embarrassed while Dogkeeper enjoyed Shion's discomfort in her drunken haze. The puppy in Shion's lap barked softly before jumping off and joining its siblings off to the right, and Shion stood up, brushing off the dirt from his pants.

"I'm going to go home now. Thanks for letting me come over to check on the puppies," Shion murmured, and Dogkeeper giggled for no apparent reason.

"Welcome!" she exclaimed with more enthusiasm than necessary, and raised her bottle to Shion before taking another gulp of beer as Shion turned to leave.

Well, that was a total waste of time. All Shion was able to get was a drunk Dogkeeper and a suggestion to have sex with a boy that wouldn't even admit his own feelings to Shion. Shion sighed and thought about it for a moment. He really didn't know what Nezumi would want for Christmas, and he couldn't help but think about Dogkeeper's suggestion. If, in an alternate reality where Nezumi would admit to liking Shion, Shion had offered Nezumi the gift of himself, would it even work? Shion felt another blush creeping up his cheeks as he imagined a naked Nezumi on top of him, rubbing his heated skin against Shion's….

"Ah, I shouldn't be thinking of this!" Shion muttered to himself and, suddenly too keyed-up to walk, took off at a run towards home, struggling to control the raging blush creeping up his cheeks.

Nezumi wanted to hurry home today. It didn't matter that he had probably ruined his and Shion's friendship; he needed to get away from the theater. He thought he was going to go crazy in there! The cast members had finally hit their limits of each other, and fights broke out throughout the day, some almost onstage while they were performing in front of an audience! One of the cast members actually broke one of the stage props—a candelabra—, smashing the small thing into bits, which enraged the director beyond belief. Now that they didn't have their precious candelabra, they had to make do without it. Luckily, the three candles inside weren't too badly damaged, and Nezumi had taken them up to his dressing room, knowing that he could use some more at home. He also noticed that although there were three candles, only two of them were white while one was red. The same shade of red as Shion's eyes, too…

Nezumi closed his storm grey eyes and shook his head violently, feeling the candles bump against his chest. Despite the drama backstage, Nezumi had a hard time getting his mind off of the white-haired boy at home, and no matter what he did, he couldn't forget the way their lips had molded together as they kissed.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Nezumi felt the need to break down and cry. He was so stupid! He had ruined everything! The one person that he had ever let in his heart probably hated him, and now he had to go home to confront him. Even though Nezumi was upset, he still felt some sort of obligatory need to give Shion a gift. Nezumi never went back on his promises…

Nezumi was attacked as soon as he opened the door. Shion, who was waiting impatiently next to the door, had heard Nezumi unlock the door and, as soon as the door was open, he flung himself at Nezumi, wrapping his arms around Nezumi in a tight grip.

Startled, Nezumi just stood there in shock as Shion, his arms still tightly wrapped around Nezumi's waist, looked up at him with an intense look in his eyes.

"Before you say anything, there is something that I want—no, need—to tell you," Shion said in a deep voice the moment Nezumi opened his mouth to ask Shion what he was doing. Nezumi's heart thumped against his chest as he felt Shion's warm body press tightly against him, and Shion took a deep breath.

"I like you, Nezumi. I like you a lot. I like you more than I should, more than I know is healthy for me. And I know that you do, too. Please don't try to deny it," Shion said as he noticed Nezumi's face pale at his confession.

Nezumi's heart skipped a beat. Shion…liked him? What was the meaning of this sudden confession? Didn't Shion hate him?

"Is this how you truly feel?" Nezumi asked in a whisper unable to manage more as he felt his heart nearly beating out of his chest. He felt warm, and the feelings he had for Shion suddenly surfaced out of the depths of his heart, nearly making him gasp in its intensity.

Shion blushed and nodded, squeezing his arms even tighter around Nezumi's waist. "Yes. I love you, Nezumi. I realized it when you kissed me last night, and I couldn't wait for you to get home today so that I could tell you," Shion murmured, Nezumi's face suddenly looming closer.

Nezumi felt relieved that Shion didn't hate him, but another feeling began to battle fiercely within him. A deep, dark desire lifted from him, and when he heard Shion confess his love to him, something in Nezumi snapped.

"Shion," Nezumi murmured dazedly and, without thinking twice, brought his lips to Shion's. Nezumi kissed him desperately, wrapping his arms around Shion and pulling him in closer.

Shion, surprised by Nezumi's sudden move, kissed him back tenderly, slipping his eyes shut as he let Nezumi kiss him. Their lips molded together perfectly, as if they were made for each other. Nezumi slipped his tongue into Shion's mouth, and Shion gasped, then moaned as Nezumi backed him into the wall. Pressed against the wall, their kisses became more heated, and Nezumi took Shion's arms from around his waist to place them above Shion's head, holding Shion hostage as Nezumi's other hand began to explore under Shion's shirt.

"Nezumi!" Shion yelped when Nezumi's lips began to explore the areas of Shion's neck. Shion could feel Nezumi's teeth gently nipping at the scar on his neck, making Shion feel hot. He was sensitive there! But even so, having Nezumi kissing him like this felt so good that Shion was reluctant to make him stop.

But the moment Nezumi's wandering hand started playing with Shion's nipples, Shion gasped and tried to pull away. This was going way too fast!

"Nezumi, stop!" Shion moaned, nearly biting his lip in pleasure when Nezumi sucked on his scar.

Shion's cry startled Nezumi out of his heated daze, and he released Shion, breathing heavily. Nezumi felt hot, and his lips felt bruised from where he had kissed Shion.

"Shion, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—," Nezumi started, but Shion silenced him with a quick peck on his lips.

"Don't apologize," Shion said, his face mere inches from Nezumi's. Their hot breaths mingled in their closeness as Shion said, "I don't regret what you did. We were just moving a little fast, is all."

Nezumi closed his mouth and nodded, a blush creeping up his already hot face.

"Okay," Nezumi murmured, and Shion smiled warmly.

"I missed you today," he said, giving Nezumi a tight hug. "Tomorrow is your last day at the theater, right?" Shion asked, pulling away from Nezumi to look the taller boy in the eyes.

"Yeah, it is," Nezumi said, his body beginning to cool down as Shion's red eyes regarded him sweetly. Nezumi couldn't help but smile at Shion, his feelings bubbling over. Why had he denied these feelings for so long? To his amazement, he had feelings for Shion, feelings that he both didn't know about and denied to himself.

"You should be getting some sleep. It's past midnight," Nezumi said after a moment of them just staring at each other in silence.

"Right. We wouldn't want Santa to skip the house tonight, right?" Shion said, and winked, making Nezumi chuckle softly. Unlike what many people thought, Nezumi actually did know the legend of Santa Clause.

"No, we wouldn't. Get to bed already, and I'll see you tomorrow," he said, and Shion gave him a quick kiss before running off to the bedroom.

Nezumi sighed as he put the red candle under the tree and lied down on the couch.

For the first time this week, Nezumi felt warm…and truly happy.

**Sorry for the late upload! (again) I did try to submit yesterday, but I got the infamous "Error 503" message, and I couldn't upload until now.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I worked really hard on this one, trying to make it great for everyone. Thanks to everyone who faved, followed, and/or reviewed! It means a lot to me!**

**OH, AND THE NEXT CHAPTER IS RATED M. JUST A HEADS UP IF YOU DIDN'T GET ALL OF THE (sort of) SUBTLE HINTS IN THIS CHAPTER**


	7. Day Seven

**WARNING! THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M. IF YOU DON'T LIKE YAOI, THEN LEAVE. (On second thought, how did you manage to get this far if you don't like yaoi?)**

**For the rest of you, please enjoy! **

Shion had awoken the moment sunlight hit his eyes, and with an excited attitude, jumped out of the warm bed to see what Nezumi had left him under the tree today. Maybe it was just the Christmas spirit in action, or perhaps the wonderful kiss he and Nezumi shared last night, but Shion felt very excited, for some reason, at what he would find under the tree. His heart pounded in rhythm with his feet as he ran to the tree, nearly waking the rats from their slumber nearby.

Shion was thrilled when he saw the small red candle that Nezumi left, and he picked it up, warm, fuzzy feelings once again rushing through him as he smiled and ran his thumb over the wax. The color was so deep that it reminded Shion of the color of his eyes.

_That's probably why he got it,_ a voice in Shion's head said, and Shion shook his head, smiling softly. This was before Nezumi kissed him, but it brought Shion a nice feeling to think that Nezumi did.

Shion was still in his soft daze when he walked into the kitchen to fix some breakfast and put the candle in a holder. He saw that Nezumi had left out the bread for him, and Shion nearly chuckled at the kind gesture.

_Man, I have it bad,_ Shion thought to himself, but strangely enough, he didn't care. He could still feel Nezumi's lips pressing against his own, and feel Nezumi's lips trailing down his sensitive scar…

"Ah, stop, stop," Shion told himself aloud, slapping his face with both hands. He really needed to stop thinking about that. It was all he could think about as he lied in bed last night, trying to sleep. He had stopped the kiss from going too far, but it had also reminded him of Dogkeeper's drunken suggestion. Shion shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts of that suggestion. It was way too embarrassing to even think of, and besides, they only really kissed a few times. Wouldn't they be moving too fast?

Shion quickly fixed himself something to eat, then went into the library to think of something he could give Nezumi. He quickly thought of a book as a gift, but there was no telling if Nezumi had every book in the world in that library. A card? No, that was lame. Money? Shion didn't have much, but maybe it would suffice…?

Shion racked his brain for a solution, beginning to feel a bit frustrated. Shion picked up one of Nezumi's worn-out books, suddenly thinking that maybe if he read a little of the books here, he could figure something out. He read the cover, _The Sacred Book of Yaoi_, and turned to a random page to read, all the while thinking it was a strange title for what appeared to be a classical book. After only a few paragraphs, however, Shion slammed the book shut and nearly threw it across the room, his face turning a bright crimson as his mouth hung open in horror. So Nezumi was into this kind of stuff…? Shion, struggling to erase the book's rather graphic images from his mind, tried to control his blush as he picked up another book, only to have the exact thing happen again. The sound of the book hitting the wall across the room reverberated throughout the library, and Shion nearly ran out of the library, his face feeling as if it was on fire.

Nezumi left the theater, feeling horrible. Sure, it was his last day on the job, but throughout the day, he had tried to find something for Shion, only to come up empty-handed. Nezumi sighed in the cold, windy air and ran his hands through his sweat-dampened hair, frustrated. If he didn't find anything for Shion on the way home, he would feel terrible about it, and Nezumi wondered if he could even face going home to Shion without a gift. Especially after last night…

Nezumi shook his head roughly, nearly pulling out some strands of hair with his fingers as his heart thumped fast, making him hot. He had never kissed Shion like that before…he wondered how things would begin to change for the two of them, now that he was going to be home for a while. Nezumi stopped in his tracks to try and figure out how he should greet Shion once he got home. Should he kiss him? Should he just walk in like nothing happened? Ah, this was so nerve-wracking! Nezumi had never been in this situation before!

Nezumi grumbled under his breath and continued walking, the extremely cold weather nipping at his nose and fingers. Nezumi looked to the dark, cloud ridden sky, getting the feeling that it might snow again. He decided not to wait around for it to happen, and ran the rest of the way home, dreading what might happen tomorrow morning when Shion found nothing under the tree.

Nezumi returned home, only to find that Shion wasn't waiting for him on the couch like he had thought. Nezumi saw that the tree was miraculously doing better, its leaves a bit greener and not as wilted. He walked over to it and found that the soil was slightly damp. So all it needed was a bit of water?

Nezumi felt a pang of guilt as he looked at the tree's empty base, knowing that he should have been able to find something to put there. He felt his heart beat sadly when he remembered that he would have to face Shion tomorrow morning when Shion had no gift.

Nezumi sighed and lied on the couch, only to have something hard jutting out into his back.

"What the hell?" Nezumi grumbled, and got off the couch to find a book there. It's worn, brown cover nearly blended in with the color of the ratty couch, but the second Nezumi picked up the old book, he knew exactly which book it was.

"What the hell is my yaoi doing out here?" Nezumi wondered aloud as a dark blush crept up his cheeks. Did he somehow leave it here last night? What if Shion had seen it…!

Nezumi could feel his blush flame hotter as he brought the book to the library and put it where it belonged. The shelf was hidden a bit towards the back of the library, so he assumed Shion wouldn't be interested in investigating, but Nezumi noticed the yaoi books scattered on the floor near the door, and he felt the need to crawl in a hole. So Shion had managed to find his secret stash….

After placing the books where they belonged, Nezumi walked over to the bedroom, his embarrassment still evident on his face. He needed to know if Shion had read those books. Nezumi would never forgive himself if Shion had accidently scarred himself for life from reading those hardcore books….

However, the sight that greeted Nezumi in the bedroom nearly took his breath away, and he stepped back, flustered beyond belief. In the soft candlelight, Nezumi could see Shion was sprawled on the bed, completely naked save for the nearly transparent white sheet covering his bottom half. Red eyes met grey ones in silence, and intense tension sprang about, nearly swallowing Nezumi.

"Shion, where are your clothes?" Nezumi asked in a tight voice, his body unwillingly beginning to stir as he made his way to Shion's side. Shion blushed and looked the other way, his own blush beginning to creep up his cheeks. This had seemed like a good idea a few hours ago as he was reading those books, trying to get an idea of what Nezumi would like, but now that the time had come, Shion really didn't think so anymore…

"Um, I wanted to surprise you, Nezumi," Shion murmured, bringing his eyes up to gaze at Nezumi's stunned face. Shion felt kind of bad that he had taken Nezumi off guard like this. Maybe this was a bad idea after all?

"You've been so good to me by giving me all of those gifts, and I had given you nothing in return. So now I'm returning the favor by giving you something," Shion said, trying his best to calm his racing heart. His face felt as if it was on fire, and he knew that his scar was in camouflage with the redness of his face.

Nezumi sucked in a breath, regarding Shion with dark curiosity. "Shion, are you sure you want to do this?" Nezumi asked, his heart racing and his eyes hooded. He didn't dare move from his spot, fearing that this was just a dream. He had these dreams multiple times in the last few weeks, but was never bothered by them. Now that Shion was lying in the bed, naked and waiting for him, Nezumi couldn't help but feel nervous.

"I'm sure," Shion mumbled, and stared at Nezumi intensely, his red eyes sparkling. Despite the awkwardness, Shion, deep down, felt as if this was right. He couldn't help but feel a bit aroused when he read those books, and now that Nezumi was here with him, the urge between his legs grew stronger. For a moment, Shion wondered if Nezumi could see that through the thin sheets, but dismissed the idea as Nezumi leaned in to kiss him. One of Nezumi's hands brushed along Shion's cheek gently before touching his lips softly to Shion's, and he slipped into the bed with Shion, his other hand snaking around Shion's body to hug him close. They continued to kiss, their warm mouths molding together as their eyes began to slip shut, giving in to the ecstasy of simply being near each other.

Nezumi felt as if he was about to burst. All of the feelings that he had kept bottled up inside of him suddenly burst, and with a groan, Nezumi deepened their kiss, unable to control himself.

Their kisses became more heated as Nezumi pushed his tongue into Shion's mouth, making Shion moan and clutch Nezumi closer. Nezumi kissed him lazily, brushing his tongue over Shion's mouth as he brought Shion closer to him, his hand trailing Shion's bare back. His hand found the raised, bumpy edges of Shion's scars, and he trailed a finger over it, eliciting a small gasp from Shion.

Nezumi pulled away from Shion to look him deeply in the eyes. He still felt unsure about this, but when Shion's soft hand brought Nezumi's face back down, Nezumi held nothing back. He kissed Shion with all of his being, pouring out his love for Shion through his kiss. He felt Shion kissing him back with just as much passion, and he moaned softly as his hands began to wander along Shion's warm body. He felt up Shion's naked torso, his mouth never leaving Shion's as Shion groaned from the sensation.

Shion's heart was about to burst. He never felt so much love for Nezumi in his entire life. It was as if all of the feelings he had harbored for the last few days had been unleashed, and Shion kissed Nezumi with all of the passion his amateur body knew. He felt Nezumi trail his fingers along his scar, and he couldn't help but gasp—his scars were ultra-sensitive. Feeling breathless, Shion pushed his mouth away from Nezumi's to breathe, only to have Nezumi begin kissing him down his neck and onto his bare stomach.

An unfamiliar feeling rippled through Shion's body, and he shivered. "Nezumi, I feel funny," Shion murmured when Nezumi began to lick his scars.

"You're turned on," Nezumi mumbled against Shion's skin, and kissed his neck before pulling away to look at Shion.

"Last chance, Shion. If you really don't want to do this, I'll stop. But if we go any further, I don't know if I'll be able to hold myself back. I might even hurt you," Nezumi warned, looking at Shion's red eyes intensely. He'd never done this before, but after overhearing many conversations at the theater, Nezumi had a basic knowledge of what he should do. Shion, unfazed, just nodded.

"Alright," Nezumi sighed, then shucked off his jacket and shirt before resuming kissing Shion. Now that both of their chests were bare, Shion could feel Nezumi's skin move against his own as they kissed, their skin sticking together as both boys began to heat up. Shion slipped his hand to Nezumi's pants, and slowly began to unzip them. Nezumi could feel himself become hard as his pants were gently taken off along with his underwear, and gathering as much gentleness as he could muster, he pushed Shion down onto the bed, getting on top of him.

One word popped into Shion's mind as Nezumi's naked body towered over him: beautiful. Shion had never seen Nezumi naked before, and now that he did, he couldn't help but think that he was just…beautiful.

Nezumi leaned over and grabbed something off of his cluttered nightstand and slathered it onto his fingers.

Shion frowned.

"What is that?" Shion asked as Nezumi returned, and Nezumi nearly chuckled.

"It's lube. I don't want to hurt you, so I'm going to prepare you first," Nezumi said. After reading those books, Shion had a feeling he knew what Nezumi meant, and closed his eyes as Nezumi slid the first finger in. It felt strange, and it hurt a little.

"Nezumi, it feels weird," Shion said as Nezumi moved his finger. Shion could literally feel himself being stretched as Nezumi moved, and he bit his lip at the foreign feeling.

"I know," Nezumi said, and silenced Shion with a heated kiss. Their tongues clashed as Nezumi slid in another finger, and Shion groaned, this time in pleasure. The foreign feeling started to turn into something dark and pleasurable, and Shion could feel his bulge grinding against Nezumi's as Nezumi continued to move his fingers and kiss him passionately. Shion was a bit disappointed when Nezumi pulled out his fingers to get more lube.

This time, however, Nezumi lathered his hard length in lube.

"Are you ready?" Nezumi asked, his breathing ragged as he regarded Shion lustfully. Shion eagerly nodded, feeling a sort of loneliness now that Nezumi's fingers had left him.

Needing no more encouragement, he swiftly placed his cock inside of Shion, and Shion groaned. This feeling was so much different than fingers…this really hurt! It felt as if his insides were going to split open!

Nezumi entered him slowly, giving Shion time to adjust to this new pressure. Nezumi saw the pained look on Shion's face and stopped, struggling to control his urge to pound into the white haired boy as Shion adjusted to the new sensation. After a few moments Shion's hips bucked, and Nezumi began to pound into him.

"Ah…ah! Nezumi!" Shion wailed as Nezumi continued to pound into him, and Shion wrapped his legs around Nezumi, effectively trapping the black-haired boy there. The pain earlier had vanished, and now all Shion could feel was mind-blowing pleasure as Nezumi moved his body on top of him.

Nezumi grabbed Shion's hard length and started pumping, making Shion feel weak with lust and pleasure. He barely had the strength to cry out as he was pleasured on both ends, and it only took a few minutes before he began to feel something hot coil in his lower stomach.

"Nezumi, I-I think I'm gonna—ah!" Shion cried out as he came, his cum splashing all over Nezumi's chest and hands. Nezumi ceased his rough pounding to grin and bring his hands to his lips. He began to lick his hands clean, making Shion blush deeply.

"You taste good," Nezumi whispered in Shion's ear and Shion closed his eyes, mortified, as Nezumi thrust into him more, and it wasn't long before Nezumi gripped Shion's body close and released his seed into the ruby-eyed boy with a soft, barely concealed moan.

Both boys were breathing heavily when they finished, and Nezumi collapsed next to Shion, who looked completely spent. Their sweaty skin glistened in the soft candlelight, and the cold winter air around them cooled them down. Nezumi looked over to Shion, and saw that Shion was exhausted, his eyes fluttering slightly on his flushed cheeks as he tried to stay awake.

Nezumi pulled Shion in for a hug, wrapping his arms around the tired boy. Nezumi kissed Shion's forehead, feeling completely happy as he ran his fingers through Shion's silky white hair.

"Nezumi?" Shion asked sleepily, and Nezumi looked at him, tracing his thumb over his scar.

"Hm?" Nezumi responded, pulling the sheets up to them to wrap Shion and himself. Nezumi could hear the small yet prevalent signs outside of the house that a snow storm had begun, and he didn't want Shion to be cold tonight.

"I love you," Shion said sleepily, and buried his head into Nezumi's chest. Shion felt warm and safe cocooned in Nezumi's arms, and he fought the sleepiness that threatened to overtake him.

Nezumi smiled and patted Shion's hair as he brought his lips to his forehead again and kissed him.

"I love you, too," Nezumi murmured softly, and he could feel Shion smile as he drifted off to sleep. Nezumi stayed awake for a moment longer, just looking at Shion's sleeping form curled around his chest before he too began to sleep.

**I hope you enjoyed this late Christmas chapter! Sorry if I made anyone uncomfortable…I'm not all that great at writing yaoi just yet :P**

**Anywho, I'll upload the final chapter tomorrow. Thanks to all those who faved, followed, and/or reviewed! I hope you are enjoying the story so far, and I hope to see you in the next chapter! :)**


	8. Day Eight

Shion stirred when the sunlight hit his eyes, and he smiled when he opened his eyes to find Nezumi asleep next to him, cradling Shion tightly in his arms as he slept. Shion could feel the warmth radiating off of Nezumi's naked chest and feel Nezumi's breath stir the strands of hair that his mouth touched. It was so different, being able to have Nezumi lying next to him after so long without him even in the house. It was even wilder when Nezumi was asleep, a rare sight since Nezumi was usually the first person up.

Nezumi groaned softly as he woke up, blinking his eyes at the uncommon sight of sunlight hitting his eyes, and the even more unfamiliar sight of a nude Shion lying next to him. A flood of memories from last night hit him like a freight train, and he gazed down at Shion's sparkling red eyes, smiling. For the first time in quite a while, Nezumi felt completely whole, and he hugged Shion closer, earning a light chuckle from the white-haired boy.

"Good morning, Nezumi," Shion murmured against Nezumi's chest, and Nezumi wanted to laugh as Shion's light breath tickled him.

"Good morning, Shion," Nezumi replied, and Shion looked up at him, a blissful smile on his face. Both boys stayed silent for a while, just smiling and enjoying each other's company as the morning light continued to warm up the cold house. Nezumi cast a quick glance out of the window and saw that it had indeed snowed last night as a blanket of white, powdery snow covered the sidewalks and streets. Children laughed as they ran about, having snowball fights and making silly snow angels as their parents watched from a distance, some drinking coffee that steamed in the cold air.

Shion's sudden growling stomach caught Nezumi off guard, and he laughed as Shion's face turned a bright red.

"I'm going to fix us something to eat. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen," Nezumi said, and after giving Shion a quick peck on his forehead, he got up, dressed, and made his way to the kitchen.

Shion yawned loudly and attempted to get up, only to fall back down onto the bed as a sharp pain from his rear erupted behind him. Shion desperately tried not to groan in pain as his lower back nearly screamed with agony, and he slowly attempted to get up again. The pain wasn't as bad this time, but it still hurt like hell when Shion bent over to gather his clothes that he had folded neatly on the nightstand the night before.

By the time Shion had made it to the kitchen, Nezumi was already finished preparing their breakfast—oatmeal, Shion guessed by the smell. Nezumi took one look at Shion and frowned before pointing the big wooden spoon at him.

"You're hurting, aren't you?" Nezumi asked as Shion sat on the stool, wincing at the pain in his ass.

"Just a little," Shion admitted, and Nezumi walked over to him, a worried crinkle in his eyes. Had he been too rough with him last night?

"But I can manage," Shion said quickly, noticing Nezumi's discomfort.

"Are you sure?" Nezumi asked, still worried.

"Yeah," Shion said, and smiled at Nezumi. "Fix me a bowl. I'm starving!"

"Okay…," Nezumi said, still uncertain as he made his way to the small pot. He fixed himself and Shion a bowl and they ate in silence, peace lingering in the air like a soft blanket surrounding the two boys.

"So Nezumi, where on earth did you find that stuff? I've never seen it in any store I've been into before," Shion asked through a mouthful of oatmeal. Nezumi raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"What stuff?"

"You know, that stuff you put on your fingers?"

"Oh, the lube," Nezumi said, and then grinned.

"I don't really remember. I got it a long time ago. That's stuff's hard to find around here, which is probably why you haven't seen it in any of the stores," Nezumi said, and took another spoonful of oatmeal.

Shion pondered this for a moment. "But if it's so hard to find, then why did you have it?"

Nezumi didn't answer, just continued eating his oatmeal as a silly grin formed on his lips.

Once they were finished, Shion made his way to the living room, and Nezumi's heart pounded with anxiety. How would Shion respond when he found nothing under the tree…?

"Nezumi, come see!" Shion cried excitedly from the living room, and Nezumi, heart pounding, slowly made his way to the living room, fearing the worst.

Instead, his eyes beheld a magnificent sight.

The tree appeared to be in full bloom, its brown, wilted trunk sprung up and strong, and a full set of bright green leaves covering each branch. But the most magnificent thing about it was the red and green ornaments that decorated the tree, along with a golden star topping the tree. Nezumi was confused, and he thought of how this possibly could have happened…

The rats gave a slight squeak to their master, and Nezumi turned to see them scatter in different directions throughout the house. Nezumi couldn't help but chuckle softly at his small companions, knowing fully well that they were up to the whole mystery, and he turned to Shion, who gazed at the tree in wonder.

"I wonder how it got so much better overnight?" Shion wondered aloud, and touched the ornaments. Shion looked up to Nezumi, a bright smile on his face as his eyes shined with happiness.

"Did you get these ornaments, Nezumi?" Shion asked, and Nezumi blushed. No, he hadn't, but if he knew his rats correctly, they would have made it appear that he had given them to Shion. Not questioning where the rats had gotten the sparkling ornaments, he smiled and nodded.

"Thanks so much, Nezumi!" Shion cried happily, and threw his arms around Nezumi, nearly knocking him over in his excitement.

"Hey, it snowed last night. Wanna go out and see it?" Shion asked after he had disengaged his arms from Nezumi's waist.

"Sure," Nezumi said, and grabbed his coat as Shion grabbed his.

They walked into the cold air, and nearly had to squint at the sight. The snow was blindingly white from the sun's bright rays, and the sky was clear and blue. It was truly a beautiful day. Nezumi gazed at it in amazement, the sight a welcome relief from the inside of the theater.

"Nezumi, duck!" Shion yelled as he picked up a snowball and threw it at Nezumi. Unable to respond fast enough, Nezumi was rewarded with a thick glob of snow to his face.

Shion laughed as Nezumi wiped off the snow and stared at him, narrowing his eyes. Nezumi glared at him, and Shion stopped laughing. For a moment, Shion thought Nezumi was mad at him.

That is, until Nezumi grabbed a bunch of snow and started rolling it into a ball, an evil grin spreading over his face.

"Do you really want to go there?" Nezumi asked in a deep voice, and before Shion could even think of running, Nezumi threw the ball of snow, hitting Shion directly on his shoulder.

"Hey, we want to play, too!" Nezumi and Shion heard some children complain, and they turned to see Karan and her brother running up to them, snowballs at the ready. Nezumi grinned that maniac grin of his and bent over to pick up another snowball, effectively beginning the fight.

It wasn't until evening that they all started to feel tired, and Shion and Nezumi sat down next to each other in the snow as the children nearby made snow angels, giggling to themselves.

"I had fun today, Nezumi," Shion said, his arm brushing against Nezumi's as he laid his tired head on Nezumi's shoulder. Nezumi brought his hand up to Shion's head and patted his hair—the same color as the snow on Nezumi's thick, black gloves.

"Me too," Nezumi said softly as the children waved their goodbyes and made their way home. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was painted dark orange as the sun gave way to night, making the snow glimmer a soft color.

"We should be getting home, too," Nezumi said after a moment of watching the sun set, and picked himself up. He gave Shion a hand, and Shion took it, only to have Nezumi pull him so hard that he ended up being thrown onto Nezumi's chest.

The impact was a bit hard, but one look in Nezumi's eyes and Shion could tell he did it on purpose.

"Shion," Nezumi murmured, his grey eyes going soft. His gloved hand went up to cup Shion's cheek, and he traced Shion's scar softly with his thumb.

"Nezumi, I love you," Shion said as Nezumi leaned in to kiss him.

Nezumi paused and looked at him, his heart filling up with an overpowering emotion as his eyes met Shion's.

"I love you, too," Nezumi murmured, and he kissed Shion tenderly as the sun set completely, the last rays of orange light catching Shion's white hair before sweet darkness settled over the land.

**So here it is, the last chapter! I really do hope that everyone had as much fun reading it as I had writing it, even though I was a day off the entire time XD**

**As always, thanks to everyone for the wonderful reviews, and a special thanks to all those who faved and followed. Just knowing that you like my story enough to follow it to the end makes me feel all loved and warm inside! And the reviews just about made my day and kept my enthusiasm to write more chapters when I felt as if the story was worthless, so a huge thanks to you guys who reviewed!**

**If anyone can think of a way that I can improve, please let me know by leaving a review. I really do hope to improve my writing, and any type of criticism would be very helpful. **

**Well, I guess now it's time to say goodbye. Thanks once again, and I hope to see you in my next story!**


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